Friday, July 29, 2011

Divine Designs

Heidi and Chelsea play Cat's Cradle2011 Campout

Life is like Cat's Cradle—predictable and fun for a while, then suddenly everything gets tangled, impossible to figure out. Onlookers stand around saying, "Grab that string," "Take hold of it with your thumb," "Pull it the other way," but it looks like total confusion from your angle. Miraculously, it all shakes out and you can start over fresh.

We started our summer with a familiar design.

Two months later it's way more complicated, but more interesting, too. Have you ever noticed that something can start out as a problem and end up as a solution? We've had it happen several times.

A terrifying asthma attack (in a foxhole) put Dee in the hospital for a week, but kept him out of Viet Nam.

We put money down on a perfect house, then felt compelled to cancel the deal and buy an imperfect house. Three of our daughters met their husbands because we lived there.

A miserable assignment a few years ago taught me computer skills I would never have learned otherwise.

Job disappointments kept us available and we were able to move to England for a life-changing year.

The diagnosis of cancer has twisted our life in an unexpected new direction. Huge new financial concerns convinced us to move (after ten years of saying we'd never move) and new opportunities have opened up.

God sets solutions in motion before we are even aware of our problems. Even though I know this, when a new challenge comes along, I get very specific in my requests, certain I know best. "Please bless me this way," I pray. When the answer comes from a different direction, I might not recognize it, and sometimes it looks like a whole new problem.

Looking backwards I know the Lord designs solutions better than I do, so why does my faith falter when I look ahead?

6 comments:

This is so, so true. I remember crying for MONTHS on end that our house in Boston wouldn't sell. Had it sold, we would have spent a million dollars on a shoe box in San Diego, and been stuck in a job we hated. Instead, it enabled us to be able to move here, live in a house we love, and be just where we know we're supposed to be. It amazes me still when I think about it.

Great post. I kicked against the pricks, alot, when we sold our home 3 years ago. Now I know that it was for the best. The economy went in the tank, and thus our business. We now live on less than what our mortgage payment was on the house. Moving to a smaller place also taught me that less is more. Our college age+ kids that were living at home were required to become independent and self supporting. I still miss having a house, but for now I know that where we are is where we are suppose to be.

Just today~Several months ago my son (going through a divorce) and his children moved in with us. Love them as I do, this has been a challenge. (And I am ashamed to admit I have frequently let my husband know it.) Fortunately, our house is large and they can live in an area my husband and I rarely have to visit so I can ignore (some of) the mess and bickering that goes on with kids.

Tomorrow the entire family heads to the beach for our annual family vacation. Will be gone a week.

This morning my son comes running downstairs and yells he can smell smoke upstairs. Took awhile, but we tracked it down to a problem with an outlet. Glad we were home and he was there to catch it.

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